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Light/Breezes

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

She is not the only one, only the most recent, but Hanna Rosin of Slate is another of those prince or princesses of "snark."

Her offense, and there are many of us who have felt

compelled to say so, was this line she penned on the death of Jan Berenstain.

“The world today brings news that Jan Berenstain, co-author with her husband Stan, of the 45 years and running Berenstain Bears series for children, has passed on to a better world. As any right thinking mother will agree, good riddance.”

There are certainly more egregious offenses, but it is the insensitivity that bothers me. Too many people today are too busy trying to be cute, clever, bitchy or whatever, to measure the impact of their words. People have written that Jan Berenstain was a kind and gentle woman, her family is hurt by the line and she deserves more respect.

As a reporter and later as a news manager I tried to avoid the all too common gallows humors or cynicism that can abound in veteran news people. I thought it was important to never mask or hinder our sensitivity with any form of callousness. To do so was to loose touch with the real emotion of a moment.

It is a prevalent attitude today. Rosin's, and others, form of snark is more about themselves, their own cleverness, than it is illuminating.

She offended people. She appeared shallow and mean spirited. But more seriously she displayed an ignorance about the importance of words and how they are received. She

appeared to be more concerned about her desire to be in the spotlight than with the audience who would receive her words. Hanna, it is not all about you. Please share that

with a few other media practitioners.

DAY BOOKTHE CAT BROTHERS DRAMA

"Hey little bro. Let's go through the fence again"

"See, that's cool."

"Easy for you. If I keep putting on weight it's going to be a hassle."

This extraordinary creature is a 600-800 year old dwarfed pygmy oak residing in the Los Osos Oaks State Reserve. The 85 acres of ancient sand dune is south of Morro Bay and just east of Los Osos off Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo County. Chumash Indians once lived where the historic trees have been saved.

It is a small reserve but has managed to protect livinglinks to the 11th century. When these oaks were saplings,

European court society had not yet sent explorers towardwhat they would call North America. The Chumash campedon this land. Some of the preserve is on a Chumash midden.

Lace lichen streamers decorate some of the old stand. Historians say Chumash mothers used the lichen as wraps for their infants.

Three hiking trails take you beneath the old growth oaks. The eastern edge of the preserve runs along a stand of old sycamore, willow, laurel and cottonwood trees. Between Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo you can time travel.

In covering national security and intelligence issues I made friends with people with unique skills and job descriptions. Later when I was a television news executive I got a call from an old contact telling me about some amazing new technology. We set up a show and tell. He, and a retinue, brought a couple of drone aircraft to our conference room. They played a recording of the craft in flight, showed telemetry data, discussed it's operation system and the budget for flying it.

They did not want news coverage, but wanted to let me know, as a favor to an old friend, the system was available.

Well, I was awestruck. This is years ago, long before there was public knowledge of the technology and certainly long before military applications. They had rigged a craft with a

camera to show how we could use it in covering critical situation incidents; emergencies, disasters, accidents, hostage situations, surveillance in investigative reporting, and many more possibilities that my mind ran to.

Now here the story takes a couple of jogs. In the contingent in the room were a couple of guys who were very circumspect about who they were and what was their interest. There was the developer, an engineer, a business partner and financial backer and two guys who later I learned

were what I suspected at the time-federal employees watching over this prized technology. My contact was probably not the first to develop such a system, but may have been the first willing to "test it" in a commercial field exercise, in this case assisting journalism. The other jog was the broadcast division executive who shot it down even before we could fly it. He'd "never heard of such a thing," and didn't want to give it a try. He said we "didn't have a budget" for such a line, though I showed him where and how we could afford it. He was a numbers cruncher, not at all a visionary or creative thinker.

So, now as drones are used by police, farmers, power companies and at lot less cost than the helicopter and pilots I kept on staff, I can't help but imagine what if.

THANK YOU CHUBBY CHATTERBOX

There is only one way into this and it is to resort to

fully acknowledged copy cat writing. I was "humbled and honored" to read this weekend that The Chubby Chatterbox,who's blog link is listed along the side, had nominated mefor an award he had won, that of the Versatile Blogger. The Chatterbox is a marvelous writer and an equally superb artist. He has taken blogging to a fine level of creativity, imagination, style and warmth. So I am all the more humbled and honored-- with all sincerity. In getting this nomination I am to tell you seven things about myself and to pass along my nomination to other bloggers. #1 I am a blessed, lucky, fortunate man, with a wonderful and creative wife, two loving daughters who make me proud and more friends than I deserve. #2 I have authored two published historical mysteryand historical thriller novels: The Sanibel Arcanum and The Sanibel Cayman Disc. #3 I co-authored a professional guide, Crisis Coverage and News Room Credibility, with US Army Lt. Col. Charles Ricks,retired FBI Executive William Ervin, and the late Benjamin Strout. #4 I have recently finished a new manuscript and I am searching for a new agent and publisher. My previous publisher was purchased by a media conglomerate that did away with the literary imprint. I was invited to do graphic novels or coffee table books. I have declined and I am work on a more literary project now, an homage to Kurt Vonnegut and Tom Robbins. #5 I spent four decades in journalism and documentary work that took me to far reaches of the globe and/or put me at the ringside for important moments in history. #6 My idea of the ideal job was to have been a National Geographic photographer. Never achieving that I now blogand thus entertain my fantasy of that and my second ideal job-a newspaper columnist. # 7 Aside from hiking, I play a lot of tennis, a game I did not pick up until about 3 1/2 years ago which I think bespeaks my faith and pragmatic idealism. It is probably good to work our butts off in good pursuit, no matter our age. Regardless of the score, what really matters is how we play the game.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Looking at the stars must make us a bit smarter. Just seeing those celestial lights certainly must launch a combination of curiosity and wonder that imbues our little gray cells with something good. Don't look for any substantiating science, but do look up when you can.

Before moving to the central California coast, the best star field I beheld was on the northern plains of the Serengeti near the Great Rift Valley in Africa and at the Simplon Pass in the Alps. In both cases it was as though the stars were dropped down around me, to the horizon front and back. A blessing of this part of California is stars that run from mountain top to horizon line in 360 degrees. They have depth as there is very little light pollution, due in part to the massive darkness over the Pacific and in the mountains.

For a guy who endured scores of mid western winters, there is a child like thrill to sitting in the spa, looking into a star laden stream of the milky way and hearing the engine like song of the ocean. In moments of such "illumination" it's hard to figure why in the history of bipeds, ambling under those same stars, we haven't learned more about them. We've learned a bit, and we theorize but every night we are reminded of a grand mystery that plays out over head.

REEL THOUGHTS

PINA

The Academy Award Nominated German film, PINA is a sight and sound feast. It's a documentary in dance that is a tribute to the late modern dance choreographer Pina Bausch.

The story is told by the dancers of Bausch's Tanztheater Wuppertal, in an extraordinary series of performances with brief commentary. Director Wim Wenders, who did the Buena Vista Social Club, has created a visual wonder with a marvelous score that will probably have you keeping beat in your seat. Here's a sample in the trailer.

AMAZING AND BREATHTAKING

Here's another marvelous weekend diversion for your

viewing, courtesy of the BBC. The next time you have mussels you may recall this thrilling experience of diving under sea ice.

THE CAMBRIA LOCAL

The weekly gathering of the Friday Lunch Flash mob

produced a couple of twists. A low key celebration of

Sadie Hawkins Day was conjured by Tess and Ruth.

Not sure who Sadie Hawkins is or what her day is all about? Google it. It will give you a little more fun time

this weekend.

The second twist was the rapid onset of a chilly marine fog. We began under cobalt blue and warm sun, but with in minutes, the mob was scrambling for jackets, sweaters and caps. So it goes on the coast.

Enjoy your weekend. And if you've got clear skies, take a peek at those stars.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Marie Colvin was one of the best. She was killed this week while reporting on the insanity in Syria. Colvin, from the U.S, covered the world's trouble spots for Britain's Sunday Times for 25 years. Here is their coverage. The eyepatch was a result of an earlier injury caused by shrapnel. As journalists we are frequently in areas of danger or potential violence, but veteran war correspondents who endure a full career of violent strife are a special breed. They take the risks so the rest of the world has a record.

A couple of years ago Marie Colvin was given a special award for her coverage. More about the tribute and others who put themselves in danger can be found here.

I was a student when Welles Hangen an NBC war correspondent went missing, presumed killed in action in Southeast Asia. By linking on his name you can learn more but Hangen was buried with Honors at Arlington National Cemetery over 20 years later. I mention him now because Hangen had been a correspondent I admired and his disappearance shook my young world. I note also that Remi Ochlik, an awarding winning 28 year old French photographer was also killed in Syria this week. I was lucky. I survived beatings, being shot at, a home robbery at gun point, two car fire bombings, close calls in small air craft and a sabre incident at the Somali border. Getting home to my family was a blessing I enjoyed that too many in the pursuit of journalism have not. When one of our colleagues falls, especially one of the best, it shakes me again, like the day I learned that Welles Hangen was gone. And it leaves an ache. They have died, so you can be informed. Rest in Peace.

FOR CAT LOVERS ONLYDAY BOOK CAT TIMES

You may recall an earlier post, in fact one of themost popular, where you see Luke on top of a car.Caught this one of him in a camo style pose.

Those six toes on each paw help Hemingway navigate a fence

And old Nesta, at 18 she is in her twilight.

She made the move with us across countryand seems to enjoy California retirement.See you down the trail.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

It takes extraordinary skill to mix teen suicide, sexual identity, bullying and the lethal potential of texting and driving and make it entertaining and joyful. Murphy's Fox network hit Glee does that and more. The jury is still out on the texting matter, it was last night's "winter finale" and we'll wait until April to learn "Quinn's"fate. But week after week we are treated to marvelous and even mind blowing entertainment ensembles of song and dance, all the while the through line of the soap like drama series embraces weighty matters with intelligence and a bold honesty that is hard to find anywhere else on network television.

Glee is not only one of the best programs, it is one of the most important because of the issues it confronts and it's primary target audience, generations much younger than us boomers. Murphy is a hot property with a string of hits but I feel a special kinship. He's an Indiana lad. His mother Andy and late father Jim were Indiana friends. Andy, an extraordinary woman, and I have collaborated on writer's conferences, book promotion and other matters. If you haven't seen Glee, you've missed one of the bestshows in television history. Get with it, become a Gleek.

ANOTHER HERO

I love this shot of John Glen, taken after his historic flight in February 1962. This started making its way around the net and I thought it should be posted here in case you missed it.

I remember listening to the launch and the flight while in a Owen Fisher's biology class. It was a nerve wracking 15 minutes, but like many of you I sensed a new possibility after the successful flight of the first American in space.

Glen remains an advocate for space exploration. I'm on board with that and continue to admire this true hero. I think this picture represents "cool!"

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

without moments of greatness. Today is the anniversary of his historic visit to China. It was the great rapprochement

and new opening.

Photo courtesy of BBC.com

Nixon was the first President I met, though I had seen and covered Lyndon Johnson. I thought Nixon had earned his nickname "Tricky Dick" and there was much about the man of which to disapprove. But when he told Chinese Premier Cho En Lai in China "What we do here can change the world" he

was indeed correct. His move to open relations was brilliant.

This clip from a BBC documentary captures the history

and speaks to its impact.

ACCOMPANIED BY REDWOOD

Lana has immediately gone to work utilizing the new redwood fencing as an element in her "garden compositions" as I refer to her creative landscape work.

The limbs of the paperbark tree in the frame below gain dimension against the fence.

The little trellis to the right seems simple as itstands ready to guide and receive the vine we recently trimmed, however----It was a joint project, certainly not overly complicated but when two headstrong people bring their vastly different styles of building to the table, well, it was spirited. If you've been married or in a relationship for many years, you may understand. Nonetheless-we are both satisfied with our little addition to the, we hope soon to be, vine covered gate.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Several things colluded to make the unfortunate racial slur of Jeremy Lin inevitable. Foremost is ESPN's penchant for being cute or clever, which often they are neither.

I've been an ESPN fan since the early Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman days. They were (are) clever and talented writers and broadcasters, but they've become role models that later generation of ESPN personnel have tried to emulate. Nothing is as good as the original and I fear that far too many ESPN studio talent have fallen into being characters or characterizations of the originals.

ESPN has apologized for the "chink in the armor" comment and headline. A writer has been fired and anchor Max Bretos has been suspended. I believe Bretos when he said he meant no offense. Same for ESPN, still it happened and it needed to be dealt with.

When I was a news executive I stressed that our broadcasters and our editorial process have a mind set to avoid even unintentional errors of judgement.

Another issue of course is the silliness that so many media practitioners resort to. Lin's sudden emergence as a star, and his historic presence have given his story saturation and in my opinion over coverage. Add silly to poor judgement and the slur occurred.

However, the valuable bottom line to this matter is Jeremy Lin himself. He has evinced great class and dignity in saying he has forgiven and moved on. So should we all. Still

I hope ESPN anchors and writers realize that when trying so hard to be cute and clever they occlude the reason most of

us are watching-for the athletes, the competition and the highlights. We are not there to see well dressed anchors fawn, peacock and prattle with puns and overwriting. Cut to the chase. You lads and ladies are merely our conduits to the action.

DAY BOOK

DESIGNER COLORSSpring blooms have come to California's Central coast.For those of you still locked in winter,enjoy the preview of what is on the way to you.